Single at Christmas? Here’s a survival guide: don’t hide your feelings, set some boundaries and use the time to relax
- There’s no need to feel embarrassed about not having a significant other – use the time to focus on yourself and the people you love most
- It’s OK to feel upset or sad over the holiday period; decide exactly what your attitude, mindset and festivities will be this year
Sara Kuburic, an American therapist who specialises in relationships, offers tips for singles on having a satisfying festive season.
When did society decide that it was sad to be single over the holidays?
A constant trope in holiday movies is people being distraught from Thanksgiving until the New Year because they’re single. Media depicts awkward conversations with relatives about “singlehood” and life choices, hiring pretend partners to fool families and having no one to kiss at midnight.
Although all of these things could happen and could make us sad, we shouldn’t assume it will. It’s not especially helpful to buy into the narrative that singles need to “survive” the festive season or should be embarrassed for not having a significant other.
It’s time to challenge the narrative. Instead of assuming you should hate being single during December, consider these things.